His Amity | Eric Coulter x Original FMC |

Chapter Twenty Two

Planning with Jack took much longer than Lia had anticipated. The hours dragged on as they debated strategies, both of them stubborn and unyielding in their convictions. It wasn't until late in the evening that Jack finally called it a night, leaving Lia alone in the armory. She watched him go, her thoughts heavy with the plans they had laid out. Jack's insistence on sparing the so-called "innocent" grated on her nerves, but she would comply for now. After all, he was providing the weapons they needed. But there were lines she would not cross, not for Jack, not for anyone. Jeanine would die. Max would die. And so would Eric.

Eric. The thought of him twisted like a knife in her chest. She could still see his face in her mind's eye—cold, calculating, full of hatred. She remembered the way he had looked at her in those final moments, the contempt in his eyes, his hands turning violent. The betrayal cut deeper than any wound, deeper than any physical pain she had ever endured. How could she have ever thought she could get through to him? How could she have ever believed she could change him? She had been a fool, blinded by a love that was never reciprocated. He had made his choice, chosen Jeanine over her, and that was it.

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she wiped it away roughly, as if she could erase the pain along with it. She had no time for this weakness, no time for these thoughts of Eric. She needed to focus. Candor had given the Dauntless refugees empty apartments and beds, but there was little room left. Jack had offered her a place in his apartment—it was spacious enough—but she couldn't bring herself to accept. The last time she had accepted an offer like that, she had ended up here, broken and betrayed.

Instead, she decided to check on Four. She found him in the infirmary, asleep but restless. He stirred when she entered, his eyes blinking open as she took a seat beside him.

"Lia?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here so late?"

She didn't respond right away. She just watched him, her expression blank, her eyes hollow. She could see the confusion on his face, the concern. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Finally, she spoke, her voice cold and flat. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Four's face fell, understanding immediately what she was referring to. His mother, the factionless. He looked away, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I didn't keep it from you out of spite," he began, his voice quiet. "I wasn't sure how reliable she would be... I didn't want to give you false hope."

Lia rolled her eyes, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Bullshit," she snapped. "If that were true, you wouldn't have told Archer either."

He tried to argue, but she cut him off, her anger rising. "I did my part, Four. I got the information. I did everything I was supposed to do. But you—" She shook her head, her voice trembling with rage. "Your mother, of all people, the leader of the factionless, and you kept that from me."

Four sighed, his shoulders slumping as he finally admitted the truth. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure if I could trust you," he said, his voice filled with resignation. "I saw you and Eric together. I wasn't sure whose side you were on."

Lia scoffed, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. "You think I would betray you?"

Four held up a hand to stop her. "Lia, as much as you want to call it just getting information... I know it was more than that. You loved Eric. I saw the way you looked at him. I saw the way he looked at you when you weren't paying attention. There was something there, and I couldn't trust you not to tell him."

Lia opened her mouth to argue, but she stopped herself. She wanted to deny it, to scream that he was wrong, but the words caught in her throat. Because deep down, she knew he was right. She had loved Eric. She had hoped, in some twisted way, that he would come around, that he would join them and fight against Jeanine. But that hope was gone now, replaced by a cold, empty void. If it came down to it, between Four and Eric, she would have chosen Eric. But Eric's hatred was too deep, Jeanine's hold on him too strong. There was no saving him.